Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski voted Champions League Player of the Week

It’s official — Robert Lewandowski is a beast. The Bayern Munich striker has been voted Champions league Player of the Week for his exploits against Chelsea, where he recorded two goals and two assists against a hapless Blues side. he beats out Leo Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Kyle Walker for the award (one of these is not like the others).

It’s not a Ballon d’Or, but given that this was a fan vote on UEFA’s website, it shows that Lewy’s stature is steadily rising among the wider footballing consciousness. Bayern fans have always known how good he is, but for him to win a poll that has the likes of Messi and Ronaldo on it is something else entirely.

Everyone knows about the legions of Barcelona and Juventus (formerly Real Madrid) fans on the internet, so Lewy winning this is pretty cool to see. In addition, the narrative surrounding Lewandowski on social media has been laser-focused on how he was “robbed” of the Ballon d’Or, which tells you how much respect he’s earned for his exploits this season. Gone are the debates where you’d have to argue with fanboys who insist that Sergio Aguero and Harry Kane are better — people realize that Lewy is clear.

Part of this can probably be attributed to Bayern’s thumping wins over Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea this season. Wins over English teams tend to get more recognition from the EPL dominated media than other feats. Lewandowski was a star performer in all those games, so it’s natural that he’s finally brought the English hype machine over to his side.

Now, the Champions League moves onto its next stage, and this PotW award will quickly be forgotten amongst the furor over the impending Barca-Bayern clash. Messi and Lewandowski will meet directly in that one — let’s hope our Polish hitman is ready keep the momentum going.